2016 Book Review: Top 10

Anyone who has been with me from the beginning of this blog knows that I am co-founder of a competitive book club. We've been going strong for 3 years now and this year I may actually win *ques evil laugh*. For those of you who have zero idea what I am talking about and do not want to dig through the archives, Competitive Book Club is where we read whatever we want to in a calendar year, meet monthly to discuss the books and whomever reads the most in the year wins and gets to assign a book to be read the next year.

This year, with the holidays looming, I feel safe calling it at 61 books for the year. I wanted to write about my favorite books that I read this year because obviously I haven't been able to talk enough about them. Some of these are series so I will only highlight the first of the series. But here are my favorite books I read in 2016 in no particular order:

1) Eragon by Christopher Paolini

This was the first series I read this year and I devoured these books. What is so fascinating is that the writer was in his teens and these were his first books he ever wrote. You can't quite understand how mind blowing this is until you read them. The story itself is captivating and is well written. I love Harry Potter, but the first couple of books, while the story is wonderful, the writing is not so much.
This series is about a boy, his dragon and a revolution. And unlike most other books on this list it is appropriate for younger kids, maybe 10 and up and still hella interesting if you're an adult. Eragon creates a full world that, at the end of the fourth book, you're not ready to let go of.

2) The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

I LOVE The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series and I was seriously upset when author Stieg Larsson died. No one can write like that man could and I was extremely nervous about someone else picking up the story. I read this book holding my breath the whole time. I liked the story, it definitely scratched that itch and stayed true to the characters. But the writing in some parts was predictable which was one thing Larsson's writing never was. Lagercrantz at one point hits you over the head with foreshadowing which pissed me off so much I remember it bitterly almost 6 months later. Other than that the book is a fantastic read and I will definitely be picking up the next book.

3+4)  Soulless and the Spin off Series Prudence by Gail Carriger 

Soulless I read as recommendation from a coworker and holy hell am I glad I listened. Basically the books are supernatural steampunk. It takes place in England and the first series follows around a woman, Alexia, who was born without a soul. Being soulless doesn't make her a bad person, just very frank. She also had the ability to neutralize any supernatural abilities and the books follow her and her circle of friends on their adventures. The second series follows Alexia's daughter, Rue. Rue has a special ability as well but what she does is when she touches someone who is supernatural she gains their ability until there is physical distance between them. This series is only on their second book which was released this year. Both series are fantastic and they show the different characters from two different perspectives Alexia's and then Rue's. If you're looking for some light fun reading, this is for you.


5) Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

When I originally heard of this book I thought it would be completely stupid and I was surprisingly wrong. The writing is engaging and at many points laugh-out-loud funny. And what surprised me the most is that the book was extremely well researched and because of it some things made A LOT of sense to the point where you're like "So this stuff about vampires makes more sense than what the history books say happened. Say what!" Let me be clear, I do not actually believe in vampires. But this is an extremely enjoyable read for anyone who likes a little humor with their supernatural stories.

6) The Best in the World At What I Have No Idea by Chris Jericho

That's right Jericho made MY list! Actually all of Jericho's books he has written up until this point, I read this year. But I am lumping them all in together with this one book. Jericho is a modern day renaissance man. For those who do not know, his books are autobiographical and follow his journey to becoming a wrestler/musician. He is someone who refuses to be put in a box or be told what he can and cannot do. His writing made me cry and it really resonated with me when he talks about losing his mom. Most of his writing though is extremely funny. The man is as funny in his writing as he is on the mic. If you enjoy reading wrestling books and you haven't read his books you are doing yourself a disservice. I think Jericho also is the only Canadian author to grace my list this year.

7) The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

This was perhaps my favorite book of the year and it was actually assigned by the guy who read the most last year from my book club so big thumbs up to Mike! If you like stories about old New York, you will LOVE this book. Not only is this about old New York but it focuses on two different groups of people and shows how people from different cultures and life experiences can come together and that sometimes you find help in the least likely of places. I don't want to give anything away but if you love a good story that has a little bit of everything in it, this is your book. I feel like if I say anything else I won't be able to stop myself from giving away the plot. The writing is beautiful. +++
8) Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

This is another instance where I have read a couple different titles by this author and I love her work. Sarah Vowell writes what are essentially history books that are hilarious. If you are interested in history but can't get through a slow boring text, Sarah Vowell is the author for you. This particular book goes through all of the US Presidents who have been assassinated. Ms. Vowell goes to all of the historical sites and her experiences there too so if you're looking to check out some of these places you know where they are and if they're worth the effort.
**The only book of her by her that I did not enjoy was Unfamiliar Fishes. I like the subject matter and her but they just didn't connect for me.

9) She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

This was Wally Lamb's first book and I fell in love with the main character. I felt like she was my friend by the end of the book and I wasn't ready to let her go. The book follows the main character from the time she is a little girl to adulthood. We go through life with her and at some points when you know she's making the wrong choices you want to grab and shake the her. And when she is a shitty teenager you kind of want to strangle her. Her triumphs become yours and it's wonderful. Such a great book! Warning: there is some sexual violence so if you're triggered by that I do NOT suggest this book.

10) The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I think one of the weirdest things while reading this book was the realization that The Help was supposed to be taking place during my mother's lifetime. Alabama may be 18 hours away from PA but it was operating like an entirely different world. The book is not autobiographical but it does reflect the world at that time. I was disgusted at many points, in tears at others and some things were funny. The book changed perspective from character to character and I truly enjoyed that. The book was so much better than the movie and if you enjoyed the movie pick this book up and you will not be sorry.

I Found Feminists!

Post election day I was invited to a Facebook group by a coworker of mine who was surprised that I wasn't in it already. The group is for feminists in my area to talk to other feminists in the coal mining region about anything, politics, something someone said to you, the news or whatever. It is a space to come together, talk, listen and be respected. This is something I have been looking for since I moved back from graduate school. Upon joining the group I noticed several coworkers were in it as well whom I had no idea were rockin the feminist way of life. That alone was something wonderful especially since being an adult, it's a lot easier to make friends with coworkers because you see them 5 days a week. Perfect! Immediate reward for joining the group and since I am a millennial, I enjoy my instant gratification too. The group was very supportive of everyone's feelings and we helped each other from feeling complete despair at Trump's "win".

I was also luck enough to join before the holiday party! This, this is what I had so desperately wanted. A gathering of feminists where we could share ideas and meet new wonderful people. Not wanting to go alone I asked my new-found-feminist-coworker if she was going and if so if we could go together (I hate showing up places where I know no one by my lonesome). Luckily she has the same dislike and happily agreed. So after work we drove off to get to know each other and fellow feminists better. Settling down into the backroom of a restaurant, the wooden interior quickly reminded me of the restaurant my women's studies peeps and I would lurk in. After a few minutes of being there and doing an oh so fun ice breaker (which wasn't bad surprisingly) I started to feel like a warm blanket fresh out of the dryer was being wrapped loving around me. Both cozy and warm. What was even better was seeing all of these women from different walks of life coming together, presenting their ideas and being met with thoughtful questions, respectful discussions and those moments of "OMG I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT THINKS THAT!?!?!?" That is what I wanted. Real live feminists in the flesh to help me stay sane. Oh and we got to stuff our faces which is a major plus to any social gathering. And we had a gift exchange. Yay presents!

I met so many AMAZING women that night that I never would have if not for this Facebook community. I feel so weird saying that. Like this must be how couples who meet on Tinder feel when they're asked "So how did you meet?" Only it's asking how you made this kickass friend instead of significant other. "We met through a facebook group". Even my eyes roll. There seems to be some sort of shame left over from AIM days where "geeks" could only make virtual friends. But this got me thinking: isn't this what social media is supposed to do? Allow us to see different sides of people we sorta, kinda know and meet new people who have similar interests as us? Am I in my late 20s now for the first time just using social media the way it was meant to be used? Mayhaps. But hey, it's never too late to learn something new.

Adventures in Home Ownership: Animal Edition

Years ago my Uncle took off the garage door with the intention of fixing it and putting it back up. My mom got sick and the fixing didn't end up happening. So this spring, I decided that I would assess the damage and see if it was savable. But first I had to FIND the garage door which was harder than you might think. Turned out to be propped against the side of the garage, folded up. When I tried to pull back the door to lay it out I saw something behind it come toddling at me. My first thought was "Oh bunny!!!!" followed very quickly by "Oh shit! POSSUM!!!!!!!!!" I then jumped backwards about 10-15 feet while screaming in a dignified manner. According to google possums do not like moth balls and I, luckily, happen to horde them. (I'm not a little old lady, I just don't like snakes). I then went back up my backyard armed with two boxes of moth balls and tried to do my best impersonation of  a person with good aim.

Several times this summer snakes decided to slither on by me and whenever this happened I screamed and ran away doing high knees. Why? Three reasons. 1) Harder to bite someone who is basically attempting to fly. 2) I cling to the delusion that my neighbors will not think I am some scaredy-cat but rather am enjoying a new, if not annoying, exercise trend.   3) As I found out the last time a snake slithered my way, my screams, scare them and they *sometimes* slither away like "oh hell no lady!" Side note: that snake is the only snake I have ever thought of fondly. I hope the snake is doing well, far, far away from me.

This summer squirrels managed to get into my attic. This is obviously bad news. Now you may be thinking "Hey don't you have three cats that you prattle on about all the time? Why not just release them into the attic and let them get their murder on? *DUN DUN DUN*" Well you my psychotic blood thirsty reader must understand that I have a great fear of my cats getting stuck in the walls, calling out to me with their sad little meows, as I struggle to find them and they die a sad, terrible death. Yes, I am that pet mom. Back off. After again googling I found that there were some things I could do fairly easily to get these suckers to leave. The most interesting idea was to spread predator urine around but seeing as it was July and I as a general rule of thumb don't want urine anywhere but it a toilet or a litter box, I tossed that idea straight away.  Fun fact though, you can buy predator urine on the internet. Makes it easier than going to your local coyote with a jar and saying "fill er up!" The option I did go with was taking apple cider vinegar and soaking rags in it and leaving them around the room. Google, in all of its wisdom, said to allow 48 hours for the squirrels to vacate and check. Now let me tell you, carrying that bucket of apple cider vinegar soaked rags up the stairs to the attic almost made me pass out and vomit at the same time so I can see why the squirrels decided on finding a new summer home. But heads up it worked and was super cheap!

And last but not least this annoying gem. As you should have surmised by now, I live in the woods. Deer wonder through my yard all the time, which I love. They are especially clingy this time of year since it is hunting season and it's Pennsylvania. This proves to me that they are intelligent creatures since they have figured out they can't be shot at around houses. But deer aren't the only large animals that like to peruse my yard and driveway. One morning, as I was about to walk out and go to work, I found my garbage can (which is on wheels due to its size) tipped over and garbage dragged halfway down my yard. Damn bears! Scurrying out to pick up the filth which I had hoped to never see again, I was glad to see the bears were smart enough to stop at the cat litter and left that bag and everything under it alone and in the trash. Since then, I always put the litter trash on top of the rest of it. No more bear mess since that.

That is all for now folks, I hope you have gleamed some slightly useful information and if not hopefully my terror at least gave you a chuckle.

Cairo's Story

 I apologize in advance for the obscene amount of photos. But in my defense Cairo is so adorable I didn't know which to use so I went a little bonkers. 

This is my dog, Cairo. He is about 10 years old now and obviously he is hella adorable. When I first found my furbaby it was the summer prior to me starting college. My mother and I were volunteering at the local humane society and at that particular time they were so over run that a few pups who were not ready for adoption had to be put out onto the adoption floor with signs explaining they were not yet ready for adoption. Okay. No problem. So as we are going around walking the dogs, my mom says "Sabrina come here. Look at this guy." I meander over to one of the small cages meant for puppies or small breeds. inside at the back of the cage is this pathetic looking little dog who won't even make eye contact. My mom points to a sign on his cage that says he had been rescued from an animal testing facility and was not yet available for adoption due to a lung infection. When we look a little closer at the pup we notice that he has lesions all over his body but specifically ontop of his head. His eyes are also red where they should be white and he is cross-eyed. My mom immediately says that if she had the money she would adopt him. My response is "I do." and we run off to track down someone to find out how we get on a list to adopt this mutt named Cairo. 

 

Cairo and his Kermit while Jasper gives them the stink eye (pictured above) 

We're then told that we cannot get on a list to adopt him because they are not so sure he is going to make it. Upon hearing this my mom and I hatch a plan that we will come up to see Cairo everyday. This we hoped would accomplish three things. 1) Having someone come and see him every day would lift his spirits and we hoped would help him fight off the lung infection. 2) If the staff saw us there everyday, then we would be more likely to be chosen as his family. 3) When he did come up for adoption we probably be the first there to put our names in. Over the weeks (maybe a week and a half) we watched this scared little pup start to make eye contact and we would find him waiting for us, tail wagging upon visual confirmation. Pure love. 

 

On one of our many walks. 

Sure enough when the day he came up for adoption came we were first on that list. We were told within a week that he was officially ours and we just had to wait until his kennel cough went away. That same week is the week that my dad died suddenly due to a heart attack caused by a car accident. The only normal remaining route that week was going to see this dog. The day after my dad's funeral Cairo came home. I still remember I got home after my mom had picked him up and he was running around I his yard, enjoying life. Cairo has had some special needs over the years, mainly he has food allergies so you have to be careful what you give him. Also he has separation anxiety, which caused him to eat a chunk of my old apartment door while my roommate and I were at work. The next day I took him to the vet and Cairo went on doggie prozac. Thankfully I have been able to wean him off of them, which was the goal. Cairo's skin lesions did eventually heal up, although it took years, specifically the ones on his head. Through research, I found that what he was subjected to primarily was eye drop tests. Basically they would take this puppy, fasten his head to hold him still (creating the lesions) and then hold his eyes open and drop liquid in them. This caused the redness and perhaps the cross-eyed look of his. Still thinking about that happening to my Cairo makes me want to cry. My mom told me from day one we were not to pity him, it wouldn't help him. Over the years the redness has almost entirely left his eyes.

For experiencing such cruelty in the beginning of his life, Cairo is such a ball of love. He loves people. All he wants is love and attention (okay and your food). He still shows signs of the abuse. When you call him over to you sometimes he cowers. It is the most pathetic thing and it is heart wrenching. Whenever this happens I try and use my sweet voice and sure enough his little piggy tail (the thing is basically a whip) starts wagging and tentatively his head comes up. But most of the time he is the BOUNCIEST love of all. He loves snuggling right up against you under the covers but he will not put his head by you. Cairo rules dictate you must deal with his dog butt. A small price to pay if you are constantly cold like I am and love puppy snuggles. I've always been a big fan of adopting animals from shelters. Most haven't experienced the trauma Cairo has but what I hope his story illustrates is, even dogs who have been abused still have so much love to give and should not be feared. Their hearts have be broken and they just need your love to help heal them.

    

What Else Can Be Said: Election 2016

After a week almost now of digesting that our new President is someone who enjoys "grabbing [women] by the pussy" I feel as though there is little left to be said on the matter. I considered not writing about this matter at all because I am not sure there is anything I uniquely contribute to this conversation, but I decided it would be slight to what my original purpose for this blog was for, a place for my feminist roar. And perhaps, you my dear reader, are a big Trump supporter and I am the only voice you know that reflects what so many are feeling in our country now. In not writing about the election results I may be doing a disservice, but most likely, I am just tooting my own horn. But either way, here it is.

I was, and am, with Her. I've loved and looked up to Hillary Clinton since I was a little girl. She put up a good fight and indeed, at the time of this writing, won the popular vote with ever growing numbers. However, the electoral college, which we have to thank for George W. Bush, has seemingly delivered us Donald Trump. Since learning of the electoral college in high school I have been deeply against it. Much like my teachers I believe that it has long out lived its purpose. Most of the United States population who were eligible to vote when it was originally created were illiterate and news was not an easy thing to come by in a timely manner. So having electorates made sense. Now also mind you these people, being  that they were educated most likely were of higher classes as well. Fast forward to modern times, we now have a population that is the most well educated the world has ever seen. And these educated people, having taken civics or US history know of the electoral college and I deeply believe that is why only about half the eligible voters in this country vote, because the other half thinks their votes do not matter. Also this whole "well the electoral college was made because if we didn't have it then cities like New York and L.A. would basically pick our next president" is a bunch of hoo ha. One, I have NEVER heard this theory mentioned until Trump won the electoral college. What I believe it stems from is the fear from small states that their votes wouldn't matter as much as compared to larger ones when our government was forming. At the time, small states were ones like Delaware and the large states were ones like PA and New York. However, in the electoral college small states still have a lesser number of votes. Any nation that fails to grow and change with the times does eventually fall. Our founding fathers knew that which is why they allowed for amendments to the constitution. I love America. I do not wish to see her dismantled.

Onto the protests....

Protesting is a right that is guaranteed to us and is something that sets us apart from many other nations. I am referring to PROTESTS not riots. Rioting and violence is no way to get a point across. The message is actually completely lost in rioting. Also I am not a fan of desecrating the flag or setting stuff on fire. Once fire is in the equation some people tend to get crazy. And desecrating the flag is not only in poor taste, but the flag represents everyone who has died for your freedom, for those who never receive their loved one home but merely that piece of cloth. Their is no need to dishonor them. Whatever point you are trying to make can be made better by some banner, t-shirt or catchy phrase.

Those protesting are not crybabies. They are here to show solidarity with those who have been targeted in this election; mainly, people of color, women, LGBTQ persons, disabled persons and prisoners of war. The protests are also a strong warning to president elect Trump and Mike Pense that we will be watching you. We are not afraid. And we will fight you ever step of the way and we are prepared to fight. We are a generation that had to sit through eight years of George W. Bush, unable to do anything due to our age(and God how do I miss him now). Millennials voted Hillary pretty straight across the board. For once, I am proud to say I am part of that generation. 

Trump supporters are not all racist, sexist, homophobic dumb dumbs. Some are lifelong republicans that refuse to break party lines, some hated Hillary and decided not to vote third party (oh how I wish you had), maybe you were worried they were coming for your guns or maybe you were slammed with false news articles. As for anyone reading the news please, please fact check. Mainly the only way you could get something straight this election was if you watched the full interviews or debates of anyone talking. NOT CLIPS. Clips on both sides were spliced together. This was the year of misinformation if nothing else. The big thing that upsets all the people who fall into the categories of people of color, women, LGBTQ persons, disabled persons ect thar are out protesting, or in need of emotional support, is not so much that someone they don't like will be president. It's not even that we think you are racist, sexist, homophobic jerks. It's that for our friends, family members and neighbors Trump and Pence's stances on those issues wasn't a breaking point for you. Someone who brags about sexually assaulting women didn't make you stand up and say "No. You do not get my vote." Someone who is okay with conversion therapy and discriminating against LGBTQ persons in general you did not stand up and say "No. You do not have my vote."  Someone who thinks it is okay to discriminate based on race and religion you didn't say "No. You do not have my vote." Someone who openly mocks the disabled you did not say "No. You do not have my vote." What  you said was "Well I don't agree with all of his views." No one agrees with all of anyone's views so thank you for stating the obvious. What the issue we have is, the above mentioned things and then some, did not cross a line for you. Perhaps because it wasn't directed at someone you know, yet. But the reason there is now a spike in hate crime in this country is because of you not standing up and saying "No! You do not have my vote." Instead you said, none of this crosses a line for me and is therefore, in some way, acceptable. And in the process sent a clear message to those that harbor those racist, sexist, homophobic beliefs: This behavior and these beliefs are acceptable. I know you didn't mean for that to be the message. I know you are probably furious with me as you read this (if you have made it this far). And I know you probably are denying all of this. But it is what it is. This is my opinion. I do not love you any less. My heart just hurts. It hurts as I think of all those who are being attacked, of those who are now living in fear and for America. And while I believe we as a nation will "survive" a Trump presidency, I worry about those Americans who won't.

My Favorite Suffragette and Hero, Alice Paul

On this election day many people have gone to the grave of Susan B. Anthony. History attributes women's right to vote to her. Anthony died well before women won the right to vote, and while she paved the way and the suffragette's who followed after her looked up to her, it was not she who pressured Woodrow Wilson into signing the 19th amendment.

Alice Paul was born and raised a Quaker and as such she did not seek out credit for the work she had done. Her religious values are perhaps what allows history to forget her. And while she may not have cared if her name was remembered, I sure do.

One thing also that Alice Paul stood for that her predecessors did not was ALL women having the right to vote, no matter the color of their skin. Many of the suffragettes that came before her, as well as her contemporaries, were not concerned with the rights of anyone whose skin did not match the color of the snow. Alice Paul, quite frankly is my hero. When I worked at the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame, of which Ms. Paul is a member, her portrait hung over my desk and every time I gazed up with her my heart would swell with pride.  Not all white suffragists cared only about their race and it is an extremely important message that people get and understand that it wasn't until the movement was headed by women who saw all women as people, no matter what the color of their skin was or what religion they followed, that women FINALLY won the right to vote. Feminists who do not subscribe to that notion can not win any battles because they are hypocrites and held everyone back.

When you read of suffragettes being imprisoned, beaten and going on hunger strikes, that was Alice Paul and her suffragettes. They endured force feedings and the opposition to their movement even tried to have Alice Paul committed to a mental institution. The doctor that examined her when asked if she was insane said the historic quote, which you probably never knew had anything to do with Ms. Paul was a product of their attempt:

“Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.”

It wasn't long after that quote went, what could be considered now as "viral", that the 19th amendment was signed.

Alice Paul also didn't stop fighting for women  and our rights once the 19th amendment was passed. She worked on the Equal Rights Amendment as well. The amendment reads “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." We all owe her so much and while she died back in the 1970s, I think the least we can do is honor her by voting in every election. If you would like to learn more about Alice Paul and the suffragist movement I highly recommend watching Iron Jawed Angels.  And checking out Alice Paul's section of the Connecticut Women's Hall Of Fame.

Surviving NY Comic Con

As a semi veteran of the NY Comic Con I wanted to share my survival tips for those who are going to the con for the first time or who are looking to do it on the cheap.

Prior to the con I highly suggest getting a backpack that has a chair that can fold out. You will be waiting outside and this will SAVE your legs/feet and allow you to do more throughout the day. Also pack food and bring a water bottle. Make sure you have snacks (trail mix and apples are a favorite of mine) and make sandwiches that you don't need to keep cool all day. PB&J all the way! I cannot stress how much this will save you on money and time. Water is around $4-$5 a dinky bottle. Forget that! Bring a refillable water bottle because by all the bathrooms there are water fountains. Now if that is what water costs you can imagine how much the food costs. A slice of pizza will make you cry unless you are being bank rolled by Bill Gates in which case buy a whole tray and share it with me. I also tend to pack more food than what I think I might need because I would rather go home with an extra sandwich than murder someone in a hangry moment.

Here I am as a very tired Hermione.

Now when you are choosing your foot wear choose CAREFULLY!!! I cannot stress this enough. Do not buy new shoes without stretching them out. This is not a drill, you will want to die. Now if you are cosplaying there is little that can be done based on what character you have chosen. I always go with someone I know has sensible foot wear because I see so many ladies with heels on who half way through the day their legs are shaking. That is just not the experience I want. Last year I was Kaylee from Firefly and this year I was Hermione from Harry Potter. If you are going to be wearing heels pop those bad boys in your bag until your about to hit the floor. You do not need to navigate NYC with them on as well. Do not worry about looking silly or weird wearing sneakers with your cosplay, you're dressed as Harley Quinn. Someone already thinks you're deranged. I would also suggest getting those shoe inserts and if you are going for multiple days perhaps do not cosplay everyday especially if this is your first con.

The day of con if you want to see any panels, get there no later than 630am. Now Sabrina, they don't even start letting people into the building until 8 or 9 am depending on the day and then the con doesn't actually open until 10am so why should I get there so damn early? Well my dears if you want to see a panel suck it up buttercup. Some of the panels are ticketed. You will not know which ones until you show up that day. You then have to sit in line for them and they do sell out. And those freebees you see people with? If you want those you had better hit the show room floor EARLY! You go to the right booths and you get free totes, backpacks, tshirts, pins, books, food, makeup ect. There is no reason that you should be walking out of this con without some free swag. You will also want to check the weather, bring a collapsible umbrella, gloves, hat and an appropriate jacket. That backpack with a built in seat also comes in handy if it rains. You can still sit down for those hours.
  For panels that are not ticketed, you will want to show up about an hour prior to it starting to get in line. I am not joking. If the person at the door offers to let you sit in on the panel that is going on, do that. You'll probably see a cool panel that you never would have and you either already have or will have access to gaining a better seat for your panel. If there is someone on the panel who isn't doing an autographing session, head up to the front once the panel is over, they are usually super awesome about talking with fans, signing autographs and taking pictures. This past con I met Captain Planet and Ed Asner that way. That was also free.




Always check the schedule the week of Con and figure out what panels you want to go to and see when you have open pockets of time to go to the show floor or artists alley or check out the cosplayers. There should never be a moment where you are bored. You will be tired to the point where when you sit down you start to fall asleep but never board. Planning is a very important aspect of con. Also understand that people are going to bump into you and you're going to bump into them. Spaces get packed throughout the day, specifically the show room. The floor is HUGE. It usually takes me two days to cover it all. And if you are a wrestling fan they usually have about 5 wrestlers scattered throughout the show room (although usually they're on the right side of the floor area away from the Block but not always).  You can get your picture taken and an autograph with them, for a price.  This year I met the King and saw Ric Flair, Hacksaw, Million Dollar Man, Mick Foley, Noelle Foley, Animal and Jimmy Hart. Mick Foley was there two years ago too but he is the only reoccurring one I have seen.

Overall, stay hydrated and be prepared to sit in some lines. It'll all be worth it though in the end, I promise. I would also recommend bringing a portable game system or a book for when you're sitting in said lines. I read three books this past Con alone. I hope this list helps and if you have any further questions please don't be afraid to ask in the comments!

My Mom's Eulogy

I was asked about a year ago if I wouldn't mind sharing my mom's eulogy. I, of course, took my sweet time with this request. I thought about editing this for many reasons. One being that it is written to be spoken, not read. And the bigger reason, it still feels unfinished. But I understand that I could write and rewrite this for the rest of my life and it would never seem finished. I could never capture the person my mother was with words and so I have left it as is. Written the week after my mother died, it is raw and real. Here it is:

Since they told me that my mom was dying I've been trying to find the right words to even come close to describing the kind of person my mother was and it hasn't been easy. There just doesn't seem to be words to accurately describe the woman who not only brought me into this world, but supported me through every decision I made, even when those decisions were about her health. She nursed me through every heartache, tucked me in at night and always made sure that I KNEW I was unconditionally loved. And that's just some of what she has done for me. And while I don't believe there are words to really do my mom justice, I'm going to try my best to find them. I owe her at least that much.
My mom wasn't just a great mom, she was a wonderful friend. She never allowed anyone to suffer a hardship by themselves. If there was something she could do to help, she would. Thinking back to when I was in high school, there were always people at our house. My friends knew that it was a safe place for them to come, and it's no wonder that so many of my friends ended up calling her "mom" as well.
And no one can talk about my mom without mentioning how much she loved animals. She not only rescued animals but she often times rescued ones that nobody else wanted. Either because they were too old or had been abused and needed extra love to get them back to a place where they could trust people again.
My mom's biggest fear, other than death, when she was diagnosed was that everyone would forget about her. That no one would come see her in the hospital and that she would fade out of existence without anyone ever noticing. I am very pleased to say that wasn't the case. Somedays my mom had more visitors than she knew what to do with. She was so very touched to just have people come by and sit and talk with her. Those visits allowed her to to keep on living even when her body was dying. Mom was still cognitive at the end and in her last days, although her responses were difficult and at times impossible for her to make she was still able to understand everything. So my mom was able to leave this world knowing how much she's loved, which not many people get. And I want to thank everyone who come to talk to her while she was ill and for all the phone calls and letters that were sent to her. She cherished everyone of them and everyone of us.
My mom had a lot of love to give and I am so lucky that I was the recipient of most of it. It's that I'm going to miss the most. Even the small things like her talking to me on the phone at 3am as I drove to and from Connecticut. Her constantly wanting to me ler her know I had arrived safely when on a trip and that I made it back home safe. I still can't imagine a future without her. I honestly won the lottery when it came to moms because I couldn't have had a better one. In her final days I was able to tell her how proud I am to be her daughter. Children often hear from our parents that they're proud of us but we rarely think to tell them that. And I am so glad I got to spend the time with her that I did. Even though I'll always feel it was cut far too short.

Twenty Nine for 29

Hello my neglected blog of mine! I'm not big on New Years Resolutions but I am a fan of something my friend Stef turned me onto, goals based on how old you are. This past week I turned 29 so this year as the title suggests I came up with 29 goals for myself to accomplish by the time I am 30. One of the items on this list was to blog again regularly (and perhaps even edit what I have written before posting it*gasp*). This being said I thought the best way to kick off my return to #poundsign would be to give you my list and share this fun idea with you. The goals can be anything big or small as you will see.

Here is my 29 for 29.

1) Read 50 books in one year
2) Learn sign language
3) Blog again
4) Plant a garden
5) Volunteer more often
6) Do the Rocky Run
7) Complete at least 3 Penn Foster Programs
8) Stop picking at the skin around my fingers
9) Improve credit score
10) Win competitive book club (you can refer to an earlier blog post for what a competitive book club is)
11) Get another tattoo
12) Do a Christmas or Turkey run
13) Visit Jasmine
14) Visit Deanna
15) Visit Amy
16) Get a proper garage door
17) Keep my car clean
18) Do yoga at least 5 times a week
19) Clean out garage
20) Get the pool working
21) Get back into theatre
22) Do at least 10 runs
23) Complete all Hogwarts Running Club runs to get a Perfect Perfect Pin
24) Finish my library
25) Fix up the patio
26) Do a cross country road trip
27) Learn to shoot a gun
28) Be more responsible with money 
29) Be a better friend



So that's how you do it! I've been doing these lists since I was 26 and I always enjoy it, even if I don't complete everything on this list. I usually do at least half. It's nice to look back at a list of things you accomplished in a year and see also how you have changed. Sometimes half way through the year I don't even want to do something that is on the list anymore and that's okay. We change as people and it's neat to see that. Don't worry if your list is vastly different from mine, it should be! No two lists should match. If you decide to go ahead with this idea yourself please let me know if this was something you enjoyed. Give yourself perhaps a month once you're into your mid twenties to come up with these ideas and try to realistic and have fun with it!

The Sanctity of Friendship

As we come into adulthood it becomes more difficult to make and maintain friendships. In an effort to increase communication between myself and a few friends who live across the country, we have started mailing each other hand written letters. I first got the idea when one of my best chums did a six month stint in Wisconsin on an organic farm for what I call an artistanship because I cannot remember the correct term for what she won. These are coveted spots where artists get to work on their crafts which is wonderful, however, she was on a  farm in the middle of Wisconsin and cell phone reception was what you would expect. Thus we dusted off the old quills and inkwells and went to work! The joy one gets when they receive a piece of mail that is not a bill and or junk asking you to join AARP when you're in your 20s. (Whomever does their mailing lists should really consider entering another line of work) is exactly like I remember as a child. I enjoyed writing and receiving these letter so much and found it was a great way to keep in contact with someone who was not in your time zone I decided to add to my writing circle. I now have two different friends that I exchange letters with and I get overjoyed when I see one in my mailbox! Emails are never this exciting. It's great getting to laugh aloud while reading. My one friend, let's call her Katie because Katie is her name, when I first proposed this idea thought that I was bat shit insane but being Katie was up for this bizarre request. It did not take long before she agreed that this was a wonderful idea and even greater her husband is now jealous that she receives such fun mail! Success! I also feel like we are doing our patriotic duty by keeping the postal service in business.

On writing my latest letter to Katie, which I popped in the mail today -Katie this is your que that if you are reading this you must now stop until you read the letter!!!- that I remembered a funny story to write to her and thus started the idea for this blog post. I stopped by a friend's house and they asked me to try some this tea. I love tea but by the way he offered this tea I was mildly concerned: "Sabrina you must try this tea, if you do not like it I will give you a new tea of your choosing but first you must try this" I didn't really agree because it was clear there was little way out of this tea-dicament so I just accepted my fate- hoping that he loved it so much that he felt all should try. But something in his voice told me that was not going to be the case. As the mug was placed before me it was explained that it was a "savory" tea and that's when I looked to my other friend whom I remember warning me of this filth. I sniffed the aroma coming off of the curious tea and it smelled of celery. "I like celery" I thought "Perhaps it's just not something all gravitate towards". That's when I took a big mouth full of what tasted precisely like boiled dirt. At this I began questioning my choices in friends-these two are far too close to my own evilness. I am totally that person that when I taste something gross I tell everyone around me "taste this!". Case in point, when I came back from Australia I brought back Vegemite for my loved ones to try, I even brought it to the family reunion. That's what family is for after all, making someone suffer as you have. No? That's just mine? Moving on. I continued to drink the boiled dirt aka crushed up broccoli, cilantro, carrot, celery and a bunch of other earthy veggies that have no business being in tea. I was convinced that something that tasted like that had to be good for you right? About halfway through the tea they also said "Oh that tea also gives you terrible gas". Thank you friends for telling me this now. I decided at that point, healthy or not, I was not going to knock us all out with the contents of my butt. Shortly thereafter I said my adieu and wondered what I had done to wrong them so.

This brings me to another story of tea-rrible times. A former roommate of mine bought a box of tea from the Christmas tree shops. The box was completely written in Chinese so she didn't really know what she was getting but $1 for a box of tea is a pretty good deal especially for a broke graduate student tea addict. A few days later she began to get sick so she made herself some of this tea to help make her feel better. Everyone knows tea=miracle cure. The sicker she felt the more tea she drank. Well after a few days of her diarrhea getting increasingly worse she finally realized the only new element was this tea. Time for Google. Luckily her laptop could travel with her to the toilet where she had been living for the past 48 hours. And once she typed in the tea the word "laxative" appeared on the screen. This made her the first person to use tea as a weight loss system, albeit against her will.

My dear readers if you are still with me after what started out as a great way to communicate with friends and then literally ended up in the shitter I appreciate you. For those who abandoned this post they'll get theirs. They'll never know now to avoid heavily discounted tea. The deal is far too good to be true friends. These folks have now doomed their intestinal tracks because they would not read my tea-rrifc blog post. Just goes to show you can't save them all.

We Lost the 9th Wonder of The World

After yesterday’s post I was deeply shocked that the first thing I saw when I woke up this morning was one of my colleagues asking me if I was going to come into work today following the news of Chyna’s death. I quickly checked her Instagram, which I mildly stalk, and was devastated that she had indeed passed. At this point they are not sure what happened and I will not speculate. I only hope that she died peacefully and knew on some level that she was loved by many. I also did go into work by the way. 

I think the one word that sums up my feelings on Chyna’s death is anger. She deserved so much more recognition than she got from the WWE for everything she contributed. I am glad that Stephanie McMahon tweeted about her death and called her a pioneer. Chyna spent so much of her life in recent years trying to mend fences with the WWE, be acknowledged by them and inducted into the Hall of Fame. It seems bitter sweet that they are only now acknowledging her contributions and star power. I hope that they induct her into the Hall of Fame in 2017. I feel like I may riot otherwise.

Chyna pictured below with her Women's Championship belt and below that she is pictured with the WWE IC Championship. She was the first, and so far the only,  woman to ever hold that belt.

What Culture has done a fantastic job paying tribute to her and her career today and I will include the link to their video Thank You Chyna because they say it all so perfectly. I am so beyond blessed that I was able to meet her when I did. Chyna had an incredible influence on my life and dazzled me with how strong women could be. There will never be another Chyna. #ChynaHallofFame2017